Project Management Officer- SC8 (Only for Myanmar National)

Job Title: Project Management Officer, Support to Effective & Responsive Institutions Project (SERIP).

Duty Station: Yangon with eventual relocation to Naypyidaw

Duration and Type of Assignment: One year Service Contract with potential for renewal

Myanmar has embarked on a major transition towards democracy, market style economy and peace. Myanmar has low middle-income status (LMIC) and is committed to lifting itself out of Least Developed Country (LDC) status within the next seven years. Following the implementation of the first ever UNDP Country Programme during 2013-2017 and as a key development partner of the government of Myanmar, UNDP will implement a new UNDP Country Programme for the period 2018-2022, striving to deliver on a large and relevant programme portfolio that is responsive to the main development challenges facing the country. 

The UNDP Country Office in Myanmar is a key interlocutor and advisor to the union government on evidence-based and integrated planning and policy making, rule of law, civil service reform, parliamentary capacity and institution building, and expanding its programme at the state, region and township levels in order to ensure stronger institutions at all levels of government as well as broader public engagement as part of the effort to build and sustain peace.  

The new UNDP Myanmar Country Programme (2018-2022) has been finalized and a new structure will be implemented to support a more integrated and collaborative way to help Myanmar achieve sustainable development and sustained peace. The Country Office has aligned the new office structure with the new CPD and designed new ways of working that will facilitate more collaboration across the office, create the foundations for more sub-national level work and higher delivery, facilitate the relocation of the country office from Yangon to Naypyidaw during the upcoming CPD period, and emphasize learning and support to national staff capacity development.

The Support to Effective and Responsive Institutions Project (SERIP) is a 5-year initiative that aims to strengthen the effectiveness of state executive and legislative institutions in understanding the needs and aspirations of the Myanmar people, in all their diversity but also growing inequalities, and in formulating, implementing and evaluating policies as well as in appropriating public resources in a way that provides effective, timely and equitable responses to these aspirations. The centrepiece of the Project’s approach is to provide dovetailed support to: 

(i) core government functions that are essential building blocks of the machinery of government, i.e. the chain of decisions and actions that are needed to make policies deliver concrete results for people’s lives; and (ii) parliamentary processes as Parliaments define laws that organize a country’s public sector management system and are meant to make government more responsible and accountable. The Project is organized into 4 key intervention areas: (1) Data for Development; (2) Policy Management; (3) Parliamentary Law-making; (4) Subnational Governance, and will ensure throughout all activities, in line with principles of the Agenda 2030, the imperative of leaving-no-one-behind by introducing and supporting innovative and effective approaches to mainstreaming gender equality, environmental resilience and conflict-sensitivity and, more broadly, to fighting vulnerabilities. Also, with SERIP, UNDP seeks to assist government authorities shift gradually to a more decentralized system of public sector management, in accordance with the government’s vision for a federal arrangement. 

The Project adopts a multi-level approach, from the Union down to Township level and is area-based, as it will land its different workstreams in 5 Regions & States: Bago, Mon, Thanintaryi, Rakhine & Mandalay, where UNDP has a solid track-record of achievements and is a trusted partner of subnational authorities.

Under the overall supervision of the Project Manager, the Project Management Officer supports the Project Manager on all aspects of the project management cycle. The main role is to support project management including continued monitoring of implementation. The Project Management Officer supports coordination of day-to-day implementation of the project contributing to consistency of implementation and timely delivery.

S/he works in close collaboration with the Programme Support Unit and other project teams, Government officials, technical advisors and experts, implementing partners, donors, beneficiaries and civil society to successfully implement the project.

The Project Management Officer will be based in Yangon with eventual relocation to Naypyidaw.

UNDP Myanmar is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position.

Summary of key functions:

• Supports day-to-day management of the project
• Facilitation of administrative, procurement, recruitment and logistical processes in coordination with Programme Support Unit:
• Monitoring of Project Management performance indicators:
• Facilitates knowledge building and sharing

• Support the SERIP Project Manager in formulation and design of the programme and preparation and revision of the SERIP Annual Work Plans (AWPs), including preparation of budget estimates and budget revisions, procurement plans, HR plans, M&E plans, Risks & Issus logs, etc.
• Ensure timely updating of UNDP´s results-management systems including ATLAS project management module.
• Prepare cost-sharing and other agreements; Monitor cost-sharing agreements;
• Monitor project resource balances, expenditures and accurate use of funds; Provide guidance to the project management support team to prepare monthly expenditure reports and other financial analysis as required;
• Facilitate audit, spot check and evaluation exercises, including by preparing documentation, liaising with auditors and evaluators, providing clarification and ensuring the implementation of audit recommendations;
• Ensure project asset list is updated and facilitates timely actions for asset management;
• Assign leave monitors and coordinates timely submission of leave monitor records;
• Ensure full compliance with UN/UNDP rules and regulations of financial processes, financial records and reports and audit follow up; Supports effective implementation of the internal control framework.

2) Facilitation of administrative, procurement, recruitment and logistical processes:

• Coordinate procurement and recruitment plans; Facilitate timely organization of administrative, procurement, recruitement and logistical arrangements in collaboration with UNDP Country Office, Area Offices, and SERIP project teams in Region/State and townships; Facilitate trouble-shooting for operational issues. 
• Facilitate procurement activities, including by overseeing procurement processes including: uploading procurement plan details to UNDP procurement system (PROMPT), raising e-requisitions, ensuring timely disbursement of payments for ongoing contracts; Provide strategic solutions to ensure value for money and liaise closely with procurement unit to resolve bottlenecks;
• Facilitate human resource management activities, including ensuring recruitment processes are timely managed, liaising closely with human resources unit to resolve bottlenecks, and designing induction programs for new project staff;
• Provide support to SERIP project teams and consultants/contractors, including by ensuring visa, protocol, travel arrangements and any other administrative and logistics issues are timely prepared;
• Manage translator/interpreter arrangements for SERIP’s key documents including reports and Project Board submissions, and ensure high-quality of translated products;
• Ensure effective management of logistical arrangements for implementation of SERIP project activities such as trainings, workshops, meetings, etc.; liaise with counterparts to agree on division of labour and budget; analyze any operational issues and recommend solutions;
• Ensure full compliance with UN/UNDP rules and regulations.

• Ensure project management performance indicators for UNDP results system and financial/procurement/HR/asset dashboards are regularly monitored and corrective measures are implemented in a timely and effective manner;
• Provide guidance to the project management support team to establish project management tracking tools for SERIP teams to monitor project events, use of budget lines, contractors’ delivery timelines, payment schedules, and logistical timelines;
• Provide regular analysis on project’s operational performance including activity issues/risks, budget resources and expenditures, procurement, assets, and recruitment; Identify operational issues and proposes innovative solutions;
• Lead financial forecasting and budget revision exercises in collaboration with the project management support team; ensure timely, efficient and strategic monitoring of financial performance of the SERIP and provide guidance to the project management support team for actions required.   

Functional Competencies:             

Results-Based Project Development and Management

Level 1.2: Contributes into results through primary research and analysis

• Assesses project performance to identify success factors and incorporates best practices into project work
• Researches linkages across programme activities to identify critical points of integration
• Monitors specific stages of projects/programme implementation

Innovation and Marketing New Approaches

Level 2: Developing new approaches

• Seeks a broad range of perspectives in developing project proposal
• Identifies new approaches and promotes their use in other situations
• Creates an environment that fosters innovation and innovative thinking
• Makes the case for innovative ideas from the team with own supervisor

Promoting Organizational Learning and Knowledge Sharing

Level 2: Developing tools and mechanisms

• Makes the case for innovative ideas documenting successes and building them into the design of new approaches
• Identifies new approaches and strategies that promote the use of tools and mechanisms

Job Knowledge/Technical Expertise

Level 2: In-depth knowledge of the subject-matter

• Demonstrates comprehensive understanding and knowledge of the current guidelines and project management tools and utilizes these regularly in work assignments
• Understands more advanced aspects of primary area of specialization as well as the fundamental concepts of related disciplines
• Keeps abreast of new developments in area of professional discipline and job knowledge and seeks to develop him/herself professionally
• Demonstrates comprehensive knowledge of information technology and applies it in work assignments

Global Leadership and Advocacy for UNDP’s Goals

Level 2: Analysis and creation of messages and strategies

• Performed analysis of political situations and scenarios, and contributes to the formulation of institutional responses
• Uses the opportunity to bring forward and disseminate materials for global advocacy work and adapts it for use at country level 

Client Orientation

Level 2: Contributing to positive outcomes for the client

• Anticipates client needs
• Works towards creating an enabling environment for a smooth relationship between the clients and service provider
• Demonstrates understanding of client’s perspective
• Solicits feedback on service provision and quality

Core Competencies:

• Promoting ethics and integrity, creating organizational precedents
• Building support and political acumen
• Building staff competence, creating an environment of creativity and innovation
• Building and promoting effective teams
• Creating and promoting enabling environment for open communication
• Creating an emotionally intelligent organization
• Leveraging conflict in the interests of UNDP & setting standards
• Sharing knowledge across the organization and building a culture of knowledge sharing and learning. Promoting learning and knowledge management/sharing is the responsibility of each staff member.
• Fair and transparent  decision making; calculated risk-taking
• Prince2 training and certification, RMG would be an advantage.

Education:

• Master’s or Bachelor Degree in Management, Business or Public Sector Administration, International Relations, Political Science, Economics, Development Studies, or other relevant discipline.

Experience:

• Minimum of 2 years of progressive experience in project development and management with Bachelor Degree or less than two years with Master Degree in relevant fields.
• Experience in designing project implementation and financial tools, using office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.).
• Experience in providing operational support for a complex project.
• Experience in coordinating with a wide range of project partners.
• Experience in information and knowledge management is an asset;;
• Knowledge in the area of democratic governance and in one or more of the areas of the project focus (parliament, local governance and data/evidence-based planning and policy making) is an asset
• Experience in using Enterprise Resource Planning Systems, such as ATLAS is a desirable asset.
• Excellent interpersonal communication skills.
• Computer literacy – MS office applications, web-based management information systems.
• Experience working with international organizations, UN or UNDP is a desirable asset.

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in English and Myanmar